Top 7 Tips on How to Study For a Test In One Night

Jun 16, 2017 in Good Advice

You’ve probably read a lot of college tips articles that advise you to start preparing for the exam at least one week in advance. That’s what personally I do and that’s a good advice indeed, but what if you have missed it all and have only one night to study? We’ve all been in this kind of situation and here’s how you can come out of it as a winner.

Gather the Materials

Gather all that you have – whether it’s your personal notes, PowerPoint presentations from the web, useful online videos, books, or printouts, it should be there on your table and on your notebook. Read or listen to them through and highlight the most important parts and the ones that you don’t understand in order to clarify them.

Remove the Distractions

You have already wasted all your time on distractions, do you want to do the same with your last night? For Galileo’s sake – don’t do it! Close your social media accounts, put your phone away and tell everyone that you will be busy and shouldn’t be distracted this night.

Use Flash Cards

If you haven’t used flashcards before, then starting to use them during the last night before the exam isn’t a good idea. But if you used them, then you do know how effective they are. Write a question on one side and an answer to it on another. Make sure that you have memorized the answer before switching to the next card.

Don’t Forget to Take Breaks

Although, you don’t have much time left, breaks are still essential. And the first part of you that’s craving for the rest is your brain. So, take a break every 30-60 minutes and then get back to work.

Eat Healthy Food

Eat healthy or don’t eat anything at all. If you have only junk food around, better abstain from eating it, because that kind of food will have a negative effect on your memory and general well-being, and you don’t need it the night before the exam. Bananas, nuts, yoghurts and carrots are your choice.

Don’t Stress

In a situation when you only have one night to prepare for the exam, it is very difficult not to experience stress. But the problem is – the more stress you will experience, the less productive you will become. Accept the reality as it is. There’s no week, there’s only one night. Tell yourself that you will spend it as efficiently as you can, giving the outmost focus on the materials that require your attention. Even if you won’t get a good grade for this exam, it’s not the end of the world and you will definitely do better next time.

And finally, visualize success! Imagine how you confidently walk into the class room, get the questions that you desire and get a decent grade. Even if your visualizations don’t turn into reality, you will definitely become more self-confident.

I sincerely wish you not to get into situations like this and start preparing at least one week in advance.